1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing system, an image forming apparatus, a management apparatus, a management method, and a computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been proposed an image forming apparatus configured to store configuration data in a storage unit. The configuration data is setting information (operation setting information). The operation of the image forming apparatus is changed according to the configuration data. Since the configuration data is stored in a storage unit of each image forming apparatus, if there are many image forming apparatuses, the setting of the configuration data needs to be changed a number of times equal to the number of the image forming apparatuses. In order to eliminate the need for repeating such operations, there has been proposed a technique that allows collective setting of the configuration data of a plurality of image forming apparatuses by an instruction issued from an information processing apparatus.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-130838 discusses an image forming system that employs a technique that can reflect system initial setting information, downloaded from a server, to a plurality of information apparatuses, when the initial setting operation is performed.
However, according to the image forming system discussed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2007-130838, configuration data that is changed according to the model or the hardware option of the image forming apparatuses cannot be reflected to the image forming apparatus.
Considering a cloud service where configuration data of a plurality of image forming apparatuses are managed by a server on the Internet, an image forming apparatus that receives the service acquires the configuration data managed by the cloud service and operates based on the acquired configuration data. Before such an image forming apparatus is shipped, the location of the cloud service can be stored in the image forming apparatus. It is convenient for the user to use such an image forming apparatus since the apparatus can automatically access the cloud service, acquire the configuration data, and operate, by the user simply connecting the apparatus to the network. This can relieve the user of the setting operation at the initial installation of the image forming apparatus.
However, if the user of the image forming apparatus desires to use a service different from the cloud service, such as a service that manages configuration data (configuration data management service), the address of the configuration data management service needs to be set in the image forming apparatus.
For example, many users may desire to use the configuration data service provided in a user-dedicated environment instead of the configuration data service provided in a public cloud service, due to security reasons. Generally, such a user-dedicated environment is called a private cloud. If the configuration data is to be managed by the private cloud, the image forming apparatus needs to be connected to the private cloud in the user environment rather than to the location of the cloud service which is stored before it is shipped. Thus, the image forming apparatus displays a user interface (UI) which can be used for setting the location of the private cloud. When the user performs the initial installation of the image forming apparatus, the user makes the setting using the UI.
However, generally, the user of a private cloud is a large-scale user and uses a large number of image forming apparatuses. Thus, it is inconvenient for the user to make settings of the location (address) of the private cloud for the large number of image forming apparatuses.